Supporting homeless and at-risk military veterans

Location

Canada

Funding Level

$100k - 150k (< 2014)

Community Size

More than 1,000

Overview

Since early 2011, Veterans Emergency Transition
Services (V.E.T.S. Canada), a volunteer-led, registered charity, has been
reaching out to homeless and at-risk military veterans across Canada. We are
based in the Halifax-Dartmouth area and in the past year and a half our
outreach efforts have helped us identify and assist more than 30 homeless
veterans in Halifax and throughout Nova Scotia. We have also helped veterans in
other Canadian cities using our growing social network of volunteers.

Every week we discover more veterans who have
slipped through the cracks, who have not made a successful transition from
their military careers to healthy, productive civilian lives. These veterans
are living on the street or at-risk of being homeless. They are unemployed and
are trying to cope with mental and physical injuries related to their service
without adequate health care and other needed community supports.

Our mission

V.E.T.S. Canada’s goal is to help veterans
reintegrate into civilian life. We have a dedicated network of more than 30
volunteers across the country, most of whom are ex-military. We work within the
community to identify homeless veterans. When we find them, we quickly
re-establish the bond of trust that exists between soldiers. We attempt to move
veterans from the streets or from shelters into affordable housing (if
available). We work to connect them with needed health care. We help them
access the benefits and services available to them through existing government
programs such as Veterans Affairs Canada and we support them in finding
suitable employment. We stick with these vets every step of the way and do
everything within our power to help them re-establish themselves.

Who are homeless or at-risk veterans?

Many, but not all, of the veterans we encounter
are male, in their late 30s or early 40s, and have participated in overseas
military operations in Bosnia and/or Afghanistan. Most of the veterans we work
with have disabilities related to their military service, usually a combination
of physical and mental health problems. Many suffer from Operational Stress
Injuries (OSIs); predominantly depression, anxiety disorders, as well as Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and these mental health issues are often compounded
by alcohol or other substance abuse and addiction issues.

How big is the problem?

Although there are no reliable statistics or
studies accurately documenting the problem of veteran homelessness in Canada,
many estimate the numbers to be in the thousands. This estimate does not take
into consideration at-risk, “couch-surfing” veterans who have managed to avoid
the street, and if they are factored into the equation, the estimate would
be significantly higher. With the heavy peacekeeping load of the
1990’s, and after a long and bloody decade of war in Afghanistan, we fully
expect to see an increase in veteran homelessness across Canada in the years to
come.

The cost of getting veterans off the street

The first month after making contact with a
homeless vet is critical. With adequate funds V.E.T.S. Canada can meet the
short-term needs of these individuals. A grant from the AVIVA Community Fund
would help ensure we are able to support homeless veterans across Canada.

We propose that funds will be used to cover the
short-term costs associated with meeting the emergency needs of homeless vets
including: